Strawberry variety named ‘Brunswick’

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of strawberry ( Fragaria ananassa ) named ‘Brunswick’ characterized by its large petals, large calyx, ovoid fruit, and resistance to powdery mildew. The invention is distinct from other varieties, but most similar to ‘Cavendish’ and ‘Honeoye’.

Botanical classification: Fragaria ananassa.

Varietal denomination: ‘Brunswick’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention includes a new and distinct cultivar of Fragaria ananassa known by the varietal name ‘Brunswick’, originally designated as “K90-12”. The new variety resulted from a controlled cross in an ongoing breeding program between the strawberry plants ‘Cavendish’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,110) and ‘Honeoye’ (unpatented). ‘Cavendish’ was developed by the Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Centre (a facility of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) in Kentville and ‘Honeoye’ was developed by the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva. ‘Brunswick’ was discovered in 1990 as a seedling in a controlled breeding plot near Sheffield Mills, Nova Scotia at the Sheffield Farm, a field-station of the Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Centre, where it was selected and propagated asexually by stolons at the Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Centre in Kentville. Asexual propagules from this original source have been produced annually in a greenhouse at the Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Centre, Kentville, Canada. ‘Brunswick’ has been tested at the Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Centre (starting in 1991) and also at research centres in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Buctouche, New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, and Pynn's Brook, Newfoundland, all of Canada. This propagation and testing has demonstrated that the combination of traits disclosed herein which characterize the new variety are fixed and retained true to type through successive generations of asexual reproduction via stolons.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows plant parts of the new variety, typical in size, shape, and color; and

FIG. 2 shows the flowers of the new variety.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following detailed botanical description of the new variety is based upon measurements and observations taken of plants and fruit grown in Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada. Observations were taken from each variety as grown in a side-by-side field trial. Color designations, color descriptions, and other phenotypical descriptions may deviate from the stated values and description depending upon variation in the environment, seasonal, climatic and cultural conditions, however, it is believed that this description will apply to the ‘Brunswick’ plants grown in similar conditions of soil and climate elsewhere. Color references generally are made to R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (1966 edition). Descriptive information on the new variety is presented in Tables 1 and 2. In the tables, the flowers described are secondary flowers. The fruit described is the secondary fruit of the maiden crop, thirteen or fourteen months after planting. The harvest data in Table 3 is based on a complete harvest of the crop. Principal differences between ‘Brunswick’, the patented variety ‘Cavendish’ and the unpatented variety ‘Honeoye’ are set forth herein. Further, several differences between ‘Brunswick’ and ‘Cavendish’ and ‘Honeoye’ include:

-   -   1. ‘Brunswick’ has more dense petiole pubescence;     -   2. ‘Brunswick’ has a later beginning of the flowering period;     -   3. ‘Brunswick’ produces more flowers per truss and has a longer         flower truss;     -   4. ‘Brunswick’ has broader fruit;     -   5. ‘Brunswick's’ petals are longer than they are wide, whereas         the petals of the reference varieties are as long as they are         wide; and     -   6. ‘Brunswick's’ inner calyx is smaller than the outer calyx,         whereas the inner and outer calyces of the reference varieties         have the same diameter.

-   Classification: The new variety is botanically identified as     Fragaria ananassa and commercially classified as a short-day     strawberry.

-   Plant and foliage characteristics: When propagated in the nursery,     ‘Brunswick’ produces moderate numbers of runner plants, similar to     ‘Cavendish’ but less than ‘Honeoye’. Individual plants of all three     varieties are medium in size. The plants of ‘Brunswick’ are of     medium density with globose habit and strong vigor. ‘Brunswick’ rows     are less dense and more open than rows of ‘Honeoye’, but more dense     than ‘Cavendish’. As shown in Table 1, leaf color of ‘Brunswick’,     ‘Cavendish’ and ‘Honeoye’ are Green Group 137A on the upper surface.     The color of the lower surface of ‘Brunswick’ and ‘Honeoye’ is Green     Group 138B but Green Group 137C for ‘Cavendish’. Leaflets of     ‘Brunswick’ are larger than ‘Cavendish’ and slightly larger than     ‘Honeoye’ and leaves of all three varieties have three leaflets.     Leaflets of ‘Brunswick’ and ‘Cavendish’ are cupped whereas ‘Honeoye’     leaflets are flat. Leaflets of ‘Brunswick’ and ‘Cavendish’ have     higher numbers of serrations than ‘Honeoye’. Leaflet serrations of     ‘Brunswick’ and ‘Honeoye’ are semi-round whereas serrations of     ‘Cavendish’ are rounded. The venation of ‘Brunswick’ leaflets is     pinnate. Petiole pubescence for ‘Brunswick’ tends to be higher in     density than for ‘Cavendish’ and ‘Honeoye’ but all three varieties     have a perpendicular orientation of the pubescence.

TABLE 1 Foliar Characteristics for ‘Brunswick’, ‘Cavendish’ and ‘Honeoye’ Cultivar Foliar Character ‘Brunswick’ ‘Cavendish’ ‘Honeoye’ Leaf color Green Group Green Group Green Group Upper surface 137A 137A 137A Lower surface 138B 137C 138B Central leaflet Length (mm) Mean  87.8  79.9  83.8 Range  80-100  64-89  65-97 Width (mm) Mean  77.0  74.6  70.3 Range  65-95  55-90  55-87 Length/width ratio  1.14  1.07  1.19 No. leaflets/leaf  3  3  3 Leaf convexity cupped cupped flat Serrations Number many many moderate Size medium medium small Shape semi-round rounded semi-round Tip serration size small small small Leaf pubescence medium medium medium Petiole pubescence Density medium to dense medium medium Direction perpendicular perpendicular perpendicular

-   Flower and fruit characteristics: The length of bloom for     ‘Brunswick’ is about three weeks when grown in Kentville, Nova     Scotia, Canada in a matted row cultural system. ‘Brunswick’     typically has 2 to 4 crowns when counted at bloom time of the first     harvest season. Flowering for ‘Brunswick’ typically begins on June 2     and ends on June 21, which is about three days later than     ‘Cavendish’ and four days later than ‘Honeoye’. As shown in Table 2,     the flower truss of ‘Brunswick’ is longer than for ‘Cavendish’ and     ‘Honeoye’. ‘Brunswick’ flowers typically open slightly beneath the     leaf canopy. ‘Brunswick’ flower trusses produce more flowers than     trusses of ‘Cavendish’ and ‘Honeoye’. Flowers of ‘Brunswick’ and the     reference varieties are white. The anther color is Yellow-Orange     Group 17A. Secondary flowers of ‘Brunswick’ are similar to ‘Honeoye’     in size but larger than ‘Cavendish’. Secondary flowers of     ‘Brunswick’ typically have 5 or 6 petals while ‘Cavendish’ usually     has 6 petals and ‘Honeoye’ has 5. The petals of ‘Brunswick’ are     slightly longer than wide whereas petals of ‘Cavendish’ and     ‘Honeoye’ are as long as wide. The inner calyx of ‘Brunswick’ has a     smaller diameter than the outer calyx while for ‘Cavendish’ and     ‘Honeoye’ the inner and outer calyces have a similar diameter.     Trusses of ‘Brunswick’ and ‘Honeoye’ are typically semi-erect at     first picking in contrast to ‘Cavendish’ which is prostrate. The     position of the calyx is even with the top of the berry for     ‘Brunswick’. The adherence of the calyx to the fruit is weak to     medium for ‘Brunswick’ and ‘Honeoye’ but strong for ‘Cavendish’. The     fruit of ‘Brunswick’ are slightly larger than for ‘Honeoye’ but     smaller than ‘Cavendish’. The ratio of fruit length to width is 0.82     for ‘Brunswick’, 0.92 for ‘Cavendish’ and 0.97 for ‘Honeoye’.     ‘Brunswick’ fruit are ovoid to short-conic in shape. Fruit of all     three varieties are medium in firmness. For ‘Brunswick’, the hollow     center size ranges from zero in small tertiary fruit, to 1-3 mm     (diameter) in medium-sized tertiary fruit, to 3-6 mm in large     primary fruit. As shown in Table 2, the exterior fruit color of     ‘Brunswick’ is Red Group 46A and on the inside the pith and cortex     are Red Group 45B, indicating very even interior color. The     reference varieties have a very similar color to ‘Brunswick’. The     achenes of ‘Brunswick’ are Green-Yellow Group 1A but darken to     Orange-Red Group 34A on the shoulders of the fruit when exposed to     sunlight.

TABLE 2 Flower and Fruit Characteristics for ‘Brunswick’, ‘Cavendish’ and ‘Honeoye’ Cultivar Character ‘Brunswick’ ‘Cavendish’ ‘Honeoye’ Flower position slightly beneath beneath slightly beneath (relative to leaf canopy) Flower truss length medium short-medium short-medium (cm)  24.2  20.4  21.8 Number of flowers/  8.1  6.4  6.7 truss Number of petals  5.4  6.0  5.1 Flower size  31.1  27.0  30.1 (mm diameter) Flower color White White White Petal length (mm)  12.2  10.6  12.0 Petal width (mm)  11.6  10.5  12.0 Petal spacing spaced to touching to spaced to touching overlapping touching Calyx size Inner calyx  24.4  22.8  23.1 (mm diam.) Outer calyx  26.7  22.4  23.8 (mm diam.) Calyx position even even to even to in a basin slightly above Adherence of the calyx weak to strong weak to medium medium Fruit size and shape Length (mm)  28.1  31.8  29.9 Width (mm)  34.4  34.6  30.7 Length/width ratio  0.82  0.92  0.97 Subjective fruit shape ovoid to cordate short-conic short-conic Seed position slight-indent slight-indent slight indent Fruit firmness medium medium medium Color (R.H.S. Colour Chart) Calyx Green Group Green Group Green Group 137C to 137D 137C 137C Fruit exterior Red Group Red Group Red Group  46A  46A  46A Fruit interior Red Group Red Group Red Group Pith  45B  45B  45B Cortex  45B  45B  45B

-   Disease resistance: ‘Brunswick’ and ‘Cavendish’ are resistant to red     stele root rot (Phytophthora fragariae) while ‘Honeoye’ is     susceptible. ‘Brunswick’ plants are slightly more resistant to     powdery mildew (Sphaerotheca macularis) than ‘Cavendish’ and     ‘Honeoye’, which are susceptible. ‘Brunswick’ and ‘Cavendish’ are     susceptible to green petal phytoplasma while ‘Honeoye’ is resistant. -   Production characteristics: ‘Brunswick’ has produced high yields;     generally similar to ‘Cavendish’ and ‘Honeoye’, as shown in Table 3.     The proportion of fruit considered marketable is similar between the     three varieties. The fruit of ‘Brunswick’ are larger (by weight)     than ‘Honeoye’ but smaller than ‘Cavendish’. The mean harvest date     for ‘Brunswick’ is similar to ‘Cavendish’ and ‘Honeoye’. All three     varieties have a harvest season which is early-midseason.

TABLE 3 Performance of ‘Brunswick’ and ‘Cavendish’ or ‘Honeoye’ in 1997 and 1998 Averaged over Several Sites* Total Yield % Yield Size Mean Harvest (t/ha) marketable (g/fruit) (day of year) 1997 (five sites) ‘Brunswick’ 7.2 87.9 13.3 201.7 ‘Cavendish’ 5.4 90.8 14.7 201.5 1998 (four sites) ‘Brunswick’ 9.9 81.1 11.2 188.2 ‘Cavendish’ 8.6 81.2 11.6 189.2 1998 (one site) ‘Brunswick’ 17.1 94.2 12.8 181.0 ‘Honeoye’ 15.8 96.1 10.8 182.8 *Kentville NS, Charlottetown PEI, Fredericton NB, Buctouche NB, and Pynn's Brook Nfld. Plants were grown in matted rows and three blocks of 3 m long rows were harvested at each site. 

1. The new and distinct variety of strawberry plant named ‘Brunswick’ as described and illustrated. 